Flipping for New York History:

A new mobile app now playable at the Seneca Museum.

FLIP, Fingerlakes Interactive Play, is a mobile app featured in the New York State PATH Through History initiative. Seneca Museum is among 12 historic sites in the region using a scavenger hunt concept as the basis for the app called FLIP: Finger Lakes Interactive Play.

A formal launch of the app, a demonstration and reception took place on Thursday, July 17 at Student Innovation Hall at Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Seneca Museum display at the Official FLIP launch

FLIP highlights multiple historical sites as a way to enhance visitor experiences to well-known landmarks. Path Through History is an online site with links, images and background information about New York’s historical and cultural sites.

Images where displayed all around the “Magic” center at RIT of the 12 participating Museums.

The new app uses 3 main areas to entertain and educate, through trivia questions, spot the difference and an exciting augmented reality. Currently the app is only available to iOS devices. The app takes the user throughout the museum using the latest technology not only to show history but to engage the user in learning and experiencing history. One of the design features is that 2 of the technologies can only be truly enjoyed and used within the museum. The museum has been given an IPad Mini so visitors can, who do not have the appropriate device, borrow it and enjoy this exciting new way of enjoying the museum.

Improving access to the sites and providing enhanced informational resources is a means to spur tourism, one of the key economic development areas highlighted by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Pathways Through History is one of several initiatives, along with the New York Outdoors, Taste of NY and I Love NY campaigns, to promote tourism across the state.

“FLIP will be a great way for kids and adults to interact while at the site or even before they get there for a tour,” said Rick Lagiewski, senior lecturer in RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology, School of International Hospitality and Service Innovation, and principal investigator for the grant.

Rick Lagiewski, (R) senior lecturer in RIT’s College of Applied Science and Shaun Foster, (L) assistant professor in RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences discuss FLIP for the local TV Station

The FLIP app is free and available on the New York State Path Through History website. The app was developed over the past year through a collaboration with RIT’s Center for Media,

For further information and the app go to https://www.flipforhistory.com/